Baby-faced heroes helping Afghans
WHILE we all undoubtedly share the frustration of former Major-General Charlie Herbert at the situation in Afghanistan, I implore him to understand that his tirade of doubt and blame affects not the organisations at which he aims — the MoD, Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — but the junior soldiers, sailors and airmen working for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) operation. These outstanding individuals, most without previous operational experience, some fresh from training, all dedicated and deeply saddened by the events in Afghanistan, are working at unsustainable pace to process as many families as possible in the face of danger and looming deadlines. They work until they fall asleep at their desks, making difficult choices on eligibility against sometimes unclear guidelines. Though clearly scared of the Taliban, some Afghans are simply not eligible to be relocated and are passed to other agencies running refugee programmes. Those who are eligible submit photographs of themselves working alongside British soldiers and tell stories of war, loss and suffering. The unseen heroes of the operation, military and civilian staff, will long be scarred by the harrowing pleas of families being torn apart or crushed in crowds of desperate people. They have to continue with their work after receiving emails from those in the crowd outside the evacuation handling centre with pictures of bodies lying in the dust and of people being brutally beaten by the Taliban.
JACK BAIRD, Watford, Herts.
THE front page picture of the British soldier with his protective arms around the distraught Afghan child brought tears to my eyes. His young, fresh face spoke volumes. The few that make the decisions are damaging the many picking up the pieces.
NICOLA CHILES, Longfield, Kent.
THE wonderful picture of the young paratrooper holding a baby in Afghanistan should be the poster boy for recruitment for the Army. Such a beautiful face full of compassion and so brave. He is a credit to our brave military.
MARY WIEDMAN, Piccotts End, Herts.
I WEEP for the poor mothers of Afghanistan. As a mother of three, I can’t begin to imagine how desperate they must be to hand their babies to soldiers in the hope they find safety. CAROLE COOKE, Doncaster, S. Yorks.